Comparing the Effects of Policies for the Labor Market Integration of Refugees

Ukrainian Refugees in Switzerland: A research synthesis of what we know

“…In Figure 14 we can see that the labour force participation of Ukrainian refugees at the cantonal level correlates strongly with the unemployment rate in the canton. Combined with the patterns of development in Figure 13, this suggests that the general economic situation of the canton is a major factor for explaining cantonal differences, an association that resonates findings by Foged, Hasager, and Peri (2024) that refugees in general are more likely to find work in areas with a strong economy (Tammaru and Kalm 2024 finds the same for Ukrainian refugees in Estonia). Figure 24 in the appendix includes time-series projections for the subsequent 12 months.…”

“…Foged, Hasager, and Peri (2024) also show that cutting welfare payments (in an attempt to incentivize labour-force participation) does not increase the chances of refugees to actually finding work. Similarly, Foged, Hasager, and Peri (2024) find that being placed near where there are many other refugees does not increase chances of finding work, countering the common assumption that ethnic networks could help refugees enter the labour market. More specific to Ukrainian refugees, Tammaru and Kalm (2024) show that Ukrainian refugees do not seem to benefit from the presence of Ukrainian immigrants in the region they are placed: labour-force participation is not higher.…”

“…Studying refugees in Denmark between 1987and 2008, Foged, Hasager, and Peri (2024 show that language training is beneficial, but also that refugees benefit from being placed in strong labour markets -with the implication that we cannot expect refugees to do equally well in all regions (see also Tammaru and Kalm 2024 for equivalent finding for Ukrainian refugees in Estonia). Foged, Hasager, and Peri (2024) also show that cutting welfare payments (in an attempt to incentivize labour-force participation) does not increase the chances of refugees to actually finding work. Similarly, Foged, Hasager, and Peri (2024) find that being placed near where there are many other refugees does not increase chances of finding work, countering the common assumption that ethnic networks could help refugees enter the labour market.…”

“…More specific to Ukrainian refugees, Tammaru and Kalm (2024) show that Ukrainian refugees do not seem to benefit from the presence of Ukrainian immigrants in the region they are placed: labour-force participation is not higher. By contrast, policies that match refugees with sectors that experience shortages have at least short-term effects (Foged, Hasager, and Peri 2024).…”